twenty years ago are just countries. to some to jesus of the. gender. where did it take.

six thirty am in moscow these here are to be headlines athens votes for drastic spending cuts and a tax hike to secure another. despite days of clashes between police and protesters outside the greek parliament forty eight hour a general strike is underway with demonstrators remaining on the streets of the capital. as pressure mounts on syrian president assad we investigate intelligence reports that missiles are being moved from the country under the control of the lebanese militant group hezbollah analysts say the collapse of the syrian government put out how to make implications for the region. little more than a thousand people have been injured in clashes with police in egypt's capital cairo demonstrators are demanding the prosecution of security forces accused of brutality during the mass uprising that led to the ousting of president mubarak in february.

with many countries watching their spending at the moment the cost of sending delegates or hosting international summits is under scrutiny the recent russia e.u. conferences critics asking if we're getting value for the money talk about this algorithm of talks with the head of the european union's delegation to delegation to russia fernando valley that's coming up next in spotlight. hello and welcome to spotlight today into a show on arts and i'm already operating today my guest in the studio is fair enough. the reason russia has left some of the diplomats questioning is true officials critics saying such summits cost too much and aren't very effective but maybe this lady was an exceptional russian and you feel the need is compromised the

moscow's ban on european vegetables and blueprinted progress on a visa free regime but is there anything that still remains and so here's the head of the european union delegation to russia to talk about don't. ask those ban on back to the european benadryl stole the headlines of the russian e.u. summit. some other topics moscow wanted to discuss like become disappointed because of the regime's talks on that started almost a decade ago but progress has been slow russia are still going through consultations and experts say they will take at least a month but the fact that words have become actions they say should be seen as a sign of optimism. thank you very much for coming thank you to you well first of all i want to start with this main question this may news that came after the summit in the rush to the

summit diplomats reporters experts started questioning the frequency of the sun and the efficiency of the summits that really are costly so is it true and do you think that it really may become a case that the. frequency of the summit will be reduced. no i mean everything is possible but it's not something that is on the agenda right now this has never been discussed and are things that for the time being at least this frequency of the summit certain a certain value are summit saw an opportunity of course on the one hand to solve issues of problems but not only that it's also an opportunity a unique opportunity for leaders to get together to get to know each other better to discuss about issues of common interest not only about a bilateral relationship but also how do we perceive in c.

certain problems in the world how to solve them and they have this opportunity which i think is sincerely valuable. this week after year and july the first poland is taking chairmanship in the european union and this country is anything but indifferent towards russia we have a special relations with poland and we have problems in our relations with both well what do you expect from the polish chairmanship in the european union and do you think that poland will have a special russian agenda for his chairmanship. i don't know i mean pollen is going to present his priorities for the presidency of the union soon. of course things have changed since the enter into force of the lisbon treaty and now the rotating presidency has no longer the responsibility for external relations or the. presidency of the european council but it has still the responsibility of the

presidency for a number of issues of e.u. policies and i'm sure that poland will make a very good presidency they have been preparing themselves for that we know that we know that they are ready and i have no doubt that they will have to do a very good presidency and in terms of. russian poland relations russia e.u. relations do you think that that poland polish presidency will. play some role in making this russian issue special for the e.u. and for relations with well they were not directly in the sense that they are not responsible for the foreign relations in there actually on a number of issues it might be might have of course a bearing but but not on what is the bilateral relations between russia and the e.u. which is a matter now for the institutions in brussels. on the twenty seventh of june

russian and the european union diplomats had their meeting on visa related issues and agreed on some joint action steps on the way to these are free travel could you specify what have these joint action steps well this is something that came out of the not this dust summit but the previous summit where we agreed that the best way to be more efficient in making progress would be to identify were of the problems which are the issues that need to be solved in order to reach one day these bits of regime so we don't these after that this working groups got together start working identifying which. those issues would be now they have almost come to an end not completely and that's why i cannot give you a complete list of it because it has still been been dealt with but i am quite convinced that in a matter of perhaps a few weeks we would have at least of this common steps that we call because our

steps that we are going to tackle together and the idea is that when this is steps article we will get to the views of the regime this may be a still a long process let's not create false potentials of this because some of these steps will be relatively simple in past or those will take longer not for the matter of lack of will to solve them but simply because the issues are more complex issues related to for instance the gratian from the countries issues related with the border control a number of issues which are not simple and you cannot resolve just in one day. when you say. hard issues difficult issues issues that will take years to tackle you mean the ball is on the russian side or both on both i mean there will be you know in our view there will be more balls on the russian side from the

russian point of the there will be more balls on our side to be a two way to a try but they said to wait three years ok you mentioned border control well actually the e.u. is a funny organization on the one hand they're talking with russia on a visa free regime something that was unthinkable of like ten twenty years ago russians coming levity but on the other hand you are. imposing mechanisms to to put border control inside this shadow again zone in scientific eurabia which is funny i mean i mean this sounds like a complete contradiction don't you think so i think it sounds like a contradiction but let's be let's be concrete i think this measures that have been approved are first exceptional measures to be applied exceptionally and. temporally the russians say there is nothing as as constant as temporary measures and sometimes sometimes it's true but i hope that this is not the is not the case now i think this is this is meant to deal with very political situations i think the case

in place was this case in which on the other hand italy and france agree to these migrants that came all of the southern due to the commission in the libyan crisis in that were caught in italy going into france and also then france realized that there was a need to establish a control these doesn't mean to reestablish the borders or to resettle is the customs or anything like that but simply a control of identity for the people going through this does not in any way of course affect the rights of the different e.u. nationals and citizens who have the right to move freely around in the e.u. cetera or all the people that are that have a document that allows them like for instance the visa to travel around freely so this is a matter of control not a matter of establishing a prohibition or a limitation but these limitations inside europe limitations on free travel for wagons they will not. influence the process of negotiating the visa free

russian well ok the e.u. nationals that work and russia that stay in russia you know a lot of them and you know their main complaints they all complain about the bureaucratic hassle the bureaucratic restrictions in russia one of them is the registration we have to have registration wherever you go in russia and this is a headache for for europeans there was the issue of the registration and maybe other problems faced by europeans in russia what they discussed during the summit and did russia promise anything to to make it easier to live life easier . that on the way hand i think we have to take note it's very important that russia already modify somehow the legislation this year and exactly to make it easier and less less of a difficulty this whole thing up of registration the delays for just ration in all

aspects so that this one one thing that i think we have to acknowledge the other thing is that when we are discussing of all the visa free regime. in due course this will also imply aspects of registration not only in russia but also in india in the which we are going to discuss the sufi meaning we are going to discuss about free access. one to another territory so yes in that respect the commitment is that we will discuss everything and russia has not objected to this but of course this will come in due course speaking about lawmaking and the state duma deputy mr lebedev proposed recently a draft law aiming to punish foreign citizens including e.q. nationals who i quote violated the rights of russian citizens the law implies freezing bank accounts of such individuals. do you think the e.u.

will somehow react to this legislation i don't know i cannot say because of course this this is only one one line we will have to look at it and see exactly what is on it what we of course respect is whatever decision is taken it will be a decision that will be according to international standards and international principles and of course a quarantine by law and by the just happens it is it will be interesting to would well but it happens i mean if you commit a crime i don't know if we are talking that in you citizen or whoever commits a crime well it has to be trial and brought to justice to be trial and eventually can be condemned to something so if all that is the case in his own in the proper way there is nothing to object of course if that's not exactly the case or things are not talking in the proper way then there is a problem there says fernandez had of the european union delegation to russia spotlight we'll be back shortly after we take

a break so stay with us we'll continue this interview in the. to. be honest thought up. to. this street still keeps its secrets but now it's time to reveal that in the soviet files.

i was just thinking about my future before the foreign companies came i dreamed of owning a can cutting factory. but we have less garbage now. some visitors who come here make fun of me. figure out garbage boy i'm not bad like people think. i'm a good person. it's just the people don't see me. but i feel it was time people like me. that long. that i feel people will start to appreciate us.

welcome back to spotlight i'll go and often just a reminder that my guess. in the studio today is the lend head of the european union delegation to russia. mr violence rather recently on june the eighth if i'm not mistaken prime minister putin made the remark he said travel rules should be equal for all russian citizens but this remark caused a concern among the citizens among the russians who live in kaliningrad because there they have been discussions on a special agreement on special travel rules for the people because they live in an unpaved so so will these will these discussions. be continued

despite this room. i i i cannot judge of all the remarks of course because it's made by the prime minister second i don't have the moments but the situation is that the people from kaliningrad have already a special regime which is a typical region for. cross border traffic so people that the near the border normally have a special regime because both size installations there which is fair i mean is normal is not only occasion kaliningrad in the e.u. but it's in many other parts of of our borders and in other parts of the world in fact and the question now is this regime is somehow being reconsidered to see if it has to stay as it is all it has to be enlarged made more flexible so we are working on it on in or on our side we are simply working and it looking at the crossing calls of different solutions and to be will see where it is the agreement so so so

the europeans they do believe that people like the sense of current grad living in the special and special places like enclaves they should have special special regulations press with i've always been sensitive to these and as i say i mean we have this kind of a range of. as with all their all the areas ok the. e.u. summit was overshadowed by this round of the vegetables the scandal when the russians banned all european vegetables and russia is is i think the biggest market for european vegetables so. are you sure do you think that this is fair that this problem had to be solved by president medvedev and the leaders of the european countries should it take such a high level to solve such a problem i know probably probably probably what happened is that this happened just a few days before the summit i said i hope that is the cucumber is all ok. this is

going to converse albeit possible of something that they have not done because this is it is not of all the local press your god gave i think with them as we keep this . historical moment but not what happened is that this problem arises and the ban also took place just a few days before the summit so logically the issue was not solved by the time of the summit and the summit to look at it. all the wise probably would have been different but i think this simply shows also that summits and devote themselves to political issues are complex issues but also two very practical ones well the deadly strain of bacteria e-coli has taken dozens of lives it has spoiled relations between countries spotlights illin admit there has more on this issue. the may outbreak of cool like in germany was only showing blamed on cucumbers from

spain delegation sales of vegetables to collapse by the time cucumber were proved not to be the source spanish farmers had lost more than two hundred million euros amid speculations what caused the outbreak russia decided to stay on the safe side and banned the import of all e.u. vegetables at the beginning of june that soured the country's ruination with the european union which called the russian move disproportionate the banking is a serious blow to the european economy is russia buys a quarter of all fresh vegetables exported by the e.u. . meanwhile this search for the infections led to beansprouts from northern germany and later it was reported that it was water which contaminated the hit the bulls the vegetable we should top they gender at the russian e.u. summit in may june both sides eventually agreed on conditions for the removal of

the embargo while the vegetable problem seems to have been resolved russia's agricultural watchdog has banned inputs from thirteen milk and meat factories in germany check show the factories failed to comply with russian health safety standards. well so far only netherlands and belgium other countries cucumbers are free to travel to russia without a visa. what's the problem of the others i mean the other european countries they didn't give didn't provide the necessary documents so while i think our first let me say that this is not all these digitals of this country or that of a country to come in this is in european union matter. so i suppose that what we are simply talking about is different stages in which the process is taking place. what it was agreed the summit of course agreed on lifting the ban under certain

conditions that had to be taking achille arranged this took place last week and there was a technical agreement on which are this e.u. budget all schooled be exported to russia or imported in russia come in with a certificate that in e.u. certificate extended by the national laboratories that the e.u. would. notify russia would certify that these products of course were. necessary sanitary conditions. so what happens is that some countries that. commission notified to the russian authorities first but laboratories for a number of countries now i think i think not i'm sure all of the laboratories from other countries have been also communicated and i think that the case here is that the first ones were these ones so him in good logic the first products to get here were the ones of the first laboratories that had been communicated to the russian

authorities so this is simply a matter of time and of course of having the necessary certificates and for the products to come to the russian customs were the products in the case will be verified. let's talk about the w.t. one of the favorite subjects to talk when it concerns russia and europe doubly turn is one of one of the hits of the discussion so so let's stay in this state in the trend and the customs union russia has a stand. they are developing this customs union and it's called one of the main obstacles under way of russia's joining the w t o is it really an obstacle and if it is what so what's so strange about it for the europeans no i think the question is the following and i don't think it is an obstacle right now is not an obstacle right now because of russia decided to accede individually to the w t o and of

course then make the necessary adjustments within the course of sheen for that what was a problem and was mainly a problem of time was to try to made the customs gene a member of the gluteal not because that is impossible in any way but simply because that would have meant to begin negotiations practically from scratch so i think this was the decision that was taken by russia was the right decision and our i think that we are very close now and in any case the customs union is not an issue on the table at this moment ok now another thing. i wanted to ask you is about one of your. interviews that you gave well some while ago you are quoted as saying that you said that the monopole lies in gazprom will be a good thing for russia well when i read that i said mr bullen so is too much of a diplomat to say such a thing did you say something about gaspar recently even i don't i don't remember

how you said anything a specific like you have to be friends listen to this doesn't sound like you but what do you think about gazprom this is a big company big big tower and do you think they do really agree that there are multiple eyes asia because it is a monopoly it calls itself a gas monopoly but they say they say they are alike and reginald monopoly i mean they should be able to have that do you think that it may be monopolized and it may be good for russia or for russian partners abroad this is of course it is a matter of opinion so on it is that there is not one truth this is a matter of opinion and you can feel it one way or another. on the e.u. side we are not favorable to monopolies in general is not talking about that's probably talking about monopolies in general because we believe that competition is a better way and a better instrument to get to get better prices to get quality for the consumers so

this is our approach but of course is one is only specific situations circumstances has to take its own decisions we cannot enter into that. last question the russian energy companies which are a gas problem gazprom near to grasp from gaza and gas from whatever. russian energy companies they are complaining that they have a lot of barriers in the european union. the barriers there are not letting them freely access the markets is it true and is the e.u. really to compromise on that but what have you heard i don't think that is exact or correct i think that. precisely i know that this third package which is the last legislation that the e.u. has passed on the energy market has elements on each that are not of the liking of russia and the russian companies but is strong in the heart of the reasons we have our reasons but i think one one aspect is normally underestimated

the third package geese precisely the right to foreign companies including the russian companies to accede to the e.u. market i think this is more than we can save your way around so i think that even if the third package is true that introduces some measures these measures are not meant for russian companies they are meant for all the companies they are also meant for evil companies so they are not discriminatory and in exchange they give the russian companies right off axis thank you thank you for a note it was a pleasure talking to you as usual and just a reminder that my guest in the studio today was barren and overland throughout that had our the european union delegation to rush and that thirteen now from our spotlight will be back with more press and comments on what's going on and outside russia until then stay on our team and thank you you thank

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